Sweet Child of Mine
by onemoretimeplz
Summary: Renee died, so Bella is sent to live with Charlie in Forks. She finds refuge in the local library and finds a new hobby: genealogy. What will she discover about herself and her family? And what will the cute clerk bring out in Bella? AH AU Canon Pairings
1. A New Beginning

_Summary: Renee died, so Bella is sent to live with Charlie in Forks. She's a great student, but not really great at socializing. She finds refuge in the local library, where she meets a cute clerk and finds a new hobby: genealogy. What will she discover about herself and her family? And what will the cute clerk bring out in Bella? All human. Cannon pairings. _

**A/N: This is my first fanfic that's not a one-shot. I'm working out the story line as I go. Please be patient, and if you have any ideas of where the story should go, please let me know in a review or PM. If you have any questions about the story, do the same. I like talking to new people. :-)**

**BPOV**

As I got off the plane, I noticed the gray clouds and the rain. This is going to be my new life. Forks, Washington. Great. How could I possibly go from sunny and arid, to dismal and wet? As I was lost in my own internal ramblings, my feet automatically carried me to the luggage carousel where I found my luggage, and tried to get it of the belt. My bags were heavy and the next thing I knew, Charlie, my father, was next to me helping me by lifting the heavy ones and setting them by our feet. He stood there, smiling at me, but not the careful smiles I've gotten in the past week. His smile was bright and excited. He was glad I'd been exiled to reside with him in my mother's and his hometown. My mother got the idea to move out of Forks at the first possible chance, and I couldn't wait to follow in her steps.

We walked together to the exit of the airport, and Charlie insisted on getting the car so I wouldn't have to get all of my bags wet. Once my luggage was secured in the trunk and we were settled into the cruiser—Charlie is police chief and used the car as his own—we fell into silence for several minutes. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it was screaming at me to say something. Charlie beat me to it.

"I'm glad you're here, Bella. You don't have any idea how much I miss seeing you," Charlie gushed. Odd, he wasn't usually like this.

"Yeah, I'm glad to finally see you, too," I replied somewhat monotonously because of the physical and emotional exhaustion I've experience in the past week.

"I mean, I wish it was under different circumstances, but, I'm still happy to see you, Bells."

"Yeah, me too," I answered quietly, trying to keep the reasons for my moving here out of my mind for now.

Since I had gotten a plane from Phoenix to Seattle, we had a bit of a drive to Forks. Charlie wasn't really much for small talk, which I was glad for, but I also was anxious about that. The lack of conversation—which generally suited me very well—gave cause for deep thought, which I was trying to avoid.

Since I couldn't avoid it anymore than an hour, I decided to finally confront the thoughts lurking in the back of my mind. I was scared, but I was determined not to cry. _You are moving to Forks for your senior year. You will not be going back to Phoenix anytime soon to see your old friends. You will be living with Charlie, a man you barely know. You will never see your mother again._

While the other thoughts were daunting, it was the last one I hadn't actually articulated, in my mind or out loud. Last Saturday, my mother, Renee, died in a car accident. It was gruesome, and I think that I'm still refusing to completely accept it. _Your mother died. She's no longer alive, and you won't get a chance to see her in person again. You will have to take care of Charlie now. You can't let Renee's death get the better of you. Your grades matter. You have to go to college next year. It's what Renee would want._

While I was lost in my thoughts again, we arrived to the home that I hadn't set foot in for over five years. It looked exactly the same as it had when I was thirteen. It was still a simple house that wasn't large, but was big enough for a family. As Charlie helped me carry my bags to my room, I was pretty much on auto-pilot. I had turned on the numbness since my thoughts in the car. I didn't want to have a breakdown in front of Charlie; I wanted to cry in private.

Once the bags were all placed in my room, Charlie insisted we get something to eat. We went to McDonald's a couple of blocks away from the house. It wasn't fancy, and I liked that about Charlie. He always seemed to know what kind of atmosphere would fit my mood, and I'm surprised that still applies after such a long time of not being near each other. I needed my favorite comfort food, and he seemed to read my mind. I could see Charlie and I getting along quite well for the months I will stay here. Thank God. There wasn't much talk over the fries and burgers, but it wasn't a screaming silence like before.

Charlie decided to talk a bit on the short drive back to the house. He asked if I had all the supplies I'd need to start school on Monday. He asked if I needed some help getting a car. He was actually tuned in to a lot of what I was thinking, so I didn't have to talk much. He agreed to help me get a car. He said his friend Billy had a truck for sale, so he'd talk to him tomorrow about getting it for me. That actually brightened my mood a lot. I'd be happy to not have to ride around in a police cruiser for my senior year. He told me he wanted me to think of his home as mine, so I could decorate or organize however I want so I could be comfortable. That was sweet.

Later that night, as I was unpacking, I found a picture of my friends and I from home, all wet from a water balloon fight at my seventeenth birthday party. I had their emails, but I had a feeling I wouldn't get to keep in touch with them very much. That didn't upset me as much as the next thing I pulled out. It was my mom's favorite ring. It was silver and had a sapphire. She always said she wanted me to have it, but I never expected I'd get it because something so drastic happened. She used to tell me I would have to wear it on my wedding day as my something old and my something blue. It really was a beautiful ring. I slid it on the ring finger of my right hand and just stared at it for a while, tears slowly starting to fill my eyes. Out of all the things of Renee's that were now mine, this was my favorite. I think it's mostly because it was her favorite.

Putting the ring to the back of my mind, I began to unpack all of my clothes and place them into the dresser that I recognized as the one from years ago when I'd stay for a week or two. I reflected back on this visits to Forks with my mom. She always said she loved this place, but just to visit. She said the rain always made her dreary unless Charlie was around. I smiled at that. Even though Charlie and my mother weren't together, they still had a close relationship that I wouldn't expect from separated parents.

After I'd decided that I had everything in proper order, I went downstairs to the living room to say goodnight to Charlie. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, I trudged up the stairs, and fell into a deep sleep after such an exhausting week.


	2. Looking Forward

**A/N: Here's the second chapter of Sweet Child of Mine. Get ready to meet Edward. Yay! I have a feeling the first few chapters are going to be short and probably boring because they're setting up for all the things to come. I hope I get some reviews today! Please help a girl out!**

**I do not own Twilight or its characters. Stephanie Meyers does. Not copyright infringement is intended.**

BPOV  
I awoke around 10 am on Sunday, and when I get down the stairs after my shower to grab something to eat, I was greeted, once again by a smiling Charlie. It wasn't his _I'm-glad-you're-here-to-stay _smile from yesterday, but one that suggested he was anticipating something. I eyed him suspiciously as I grabbed a Pop Tart from the pantry, and sat down at the kitchen table across from him. He kept glancing up from his newspaper to see if I was done.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" I asked.

"No, I just have something I want to show you. Sorry, I'm not trying to scare you or anything."

"You're not scaring me. What do you wanna show me?"

"Follow me. It's in the garage."

Oh lord. Last I remember that garage was a huge jumbled mess of fishing rods, and old furniture. This can't be good. Before we reached the door of the garage, Charlie made me cover my eyes and tested me by asking a short series of ridiculous questions like '_how many fingers am I holding up_.' I heard the door open, and then Charlie took my hand and led me through the doorway. I was nervous because of how clumsy I was with my vision, let alone when I couldn't see, but as I was about to say something, Charlie stopped and told me to open my eyes.

I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face as I came face to face with a truck. It was old, but it was awesome. I turned to Charlie and he said, "It's yours."

I stared at him for a couple moments in disbelief. He was supposed to _help_ me with getting a car, not actually get it.

Charlie opened the driver's side door and motioned for me to climb in, so I did. As I put my hands on the wheel, things just felt right. For the first time in the past few days, I didn't feel sad or distant, I just felt _right._

"I know it might not have been your first choice, but Billy gave me a great deal, and it just looked like it would fit you well. If you don't like it—"

I cut him off, "I love it. It's so cool. Thanks, Dad."

Charlie smiled at me with warmth in his eyes. He obviously liked that I called him dad instead of Charlie.

After a few minutes of watching me sit in the truck, Charlie spoke.

"Why don't you take it for a ride," he said. "You need to get a feel for the town anyway. You know, find out where the school is, and the hang outs and stuff. Just go explore. It's already all gassed up and ready to go."

With one last thank you to Charlie, he tossed me the key and the engine roared to life. That sound just made me realize that Forks could actually feel like home.

I did as Charlie said. Since school would be starting tomorrow, I wanted to get a feel for the drive, so I drove a few minutes and happened upon the school. It was good to know that I could wake up a little late and still be able to make it to school on time. That calmed my nerves about starting a new school a little. Since I found the school quickly, I decided to just drive around the small town. There were the usual small shops: a sporting goods store, a grocery store, and a few places to eat. About ten minutes into my drive, I found some comfort in Forks, something familiar and comforting to me: the library.

There were a few cars in the parking lot, so I decided they were probably opened. I pulled my truck into a spot, grabbed my purse, and walked through doors. Inside, the library was spacious and smelled of books. That immediately put me at ease. A familiar smell always helps me in a stressful situation; I'm not quite sure why. I started to browse the literature section, when I noticed a room with large tables and shelves upon shelves of large books lining the walls from floor to ceiling. There was also a computer in the corner of the room, and a white board on one wall. Intrigued, I walked into the room to find out what the purpose was. When I was about to pull a book called _The Unabridged History of Forks, Washington_, someone else entered the room, so I turned to see who it was—not that I'd know anyone yet. I almost gasped at how _beautiful_ this boy was. He was tall—around 6'2"—with a skin tone almost as pale as mine. His hair was messy, but perfect, and the strangest, most beautiful bronze color. His eyes were friendly, but had a hint of confusion in their green depths. He obviously was confused because he'd never seen me here before, so I worked up enough courage to speak.

"I'm Bella. I just moved in yesterday," I said weakly as I extended my hand toward him.

He took my hand and shook it politely, "Chief Swan's daughter?" I nodded, and he continued, "I'm Edward Cullen, and I'm the genealogy assistant here."

"Genealogy? Is that what this room is for? That's cool. I've always wanted to do it, but I could never find the right resources in Phoenix…not when my family was based here."

"Well, if you need help getting started, I can show you the ropes, if you'd like," the bronze-haired god said, and I was so focused on watching his mouth form the words that I almost forgot to respond.

"Uh, yeah. Since I don't really know what I'm doing, I guess I should try to get a tutorial or something."

"Ok. Well, we're closing in, like, five minutes, so how about tomorrow after school?"

"Yeah, that sounds good. I'll need something to look forward to during school. I hate having to start a new school and having no friends."

"Well, consider me a friend then. That way you have someone to sit with at lunch at least. I mean, if you want."

"Yeah, that'd be great. That's the scariest part of not knowing anyone, trying to find someone for lunch. Are you sure you don't mind me barging in like that though?" Oh my god, I'm rambling. He probably thinks I'm a total moron!

"I don't mind one bit. But I have to go close up, so I'll see you tomorrow morning?"

"Yes. Tomorrow morning. And after school, too. Bye, Edward."

"Good bye, Bella."

As I got into my truck, I wanted to hit my head on the steering wheel. Why was I being so nervous? Why did I ramble like that? Ugh. I drove back to the house and went inside to find Charlie watching a baseball game in the living room. I did dishes, and realized it was almost supper time, so I decided to make a quick dinner and get to bed because tomorrow was going to be a long, long day.

**Please, please, please review. I have a good feeling about this story, and I'm very attached to it already. It would make me very sad if no one else likes it. :-( Anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter enough to give me some lovin'.**

**I love all of you,**

**Heather (onemoretimeplz)**


	3. Blushing Like a Fool

**A/N: To those of you who are reading this, I love you. Tell your friends please. It would make me happy. :-) Anyway, this chapter was originally going to be the first day at school AND B and E at the library, but the school thing took more words than I'd anticipated. Anyway, onward to the story! Enjoy:**

**P.S. I don't own Twilight. :-(**

I woke up to my alarm and rain pounding on the roof of the house. Of course, I didn't really expect anything but rain for my first day at Forks High, but I was hoping that the rain would hold off. I pulled myself out of bed and went straight into the bathroom for my shower. When I came back to my room, I opened my closet and stared at my clothes. Most of them weren't appropriate for the Washington weather because of living in Phoenix for so long. Finally, I decided on a pair of jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt that fit closely to my body, but wasn't too tight. Then I slid on my favorite shoes, my black converse. I walked down the stairs and went to the pantry to grab some cereal, but I could only take two bites because of how jumpy my stomach was due to my nerves.

I dumped the cereal and milk in the sink and grabbed a granola bar to put in my bag just in case. I grabbed my bag and raincoat and ran to my truck. Once I was in, I started the engine and started my trek to school.

I was purposely early so I could go to the office and get everything in order. I was the first car in the student lot, which was a little comforting because I wouldn't be stared at the whole time walking into the school. Once I reached the office, I opened the door and was greeted by the secretary.

"Oh, you must be Bella Swan. I'm Mrs. Cope. I just have a small form for you to fill out and then I'll give you your schedule, honey."

"Okay. Thank you," I replied, a little weirded out that she already knew my name without ever meeting me before. I figured that was how much of my day was going to go since Forks High only had about 600 students in total. I filled out a form asking about extracurricular activities I'd participated in and would like to find out more about—which consisted of a tutoring program I helped with in Phoenix. Once I handed the small paper into Mrs. Cope, she handed me my schedule. She told me where to find my homeroom and also said someone would be leading me around to all of my classes today to get acquainted. Great, it'll be some horribly socially awkward kid who probably won't leave me alone. I mentally slapped myself after that thought because _I _am a socially awkward kid.

I walked out of the office and went to find my homeroom. It wasn't difficult to find, but I wandered the halls trying to find my other classes before the bell rang so I wouldn't need a tour guide. As I walked into my homeroom, almost everyone was already seated, and all their eyes were on me. I felt my face get red and I immediately glued my eyes to the floor. I walked to the teacher who then told me where to sit.

Homeroom actually passed quickly because we were going over all the general requirements of our senior year. Pretty soon the bell rang to go to our first period class, and as I stepped out of the door, I was greeted by a tiny, bright pixie of a girl.

"Hi, I'm Alice," the dark-haired girl said as she extended her hand. "I'm in almost all of your classes, so Mrs. Cope thought it'd be a good idea for me to show you around. And, you can sit with me and my boyfriend, and my brother at lunch if you want."

"Oh, uh, ok. I'm Bella, but I guess you know that. I actually have somewhere to sit for lunch…I mean, it's nothing against you, I just already told someone I'd sit with him."

"No, that's cool. I don't mind at all. If you don't mind me asking, who are you planning to sit with," Alice asked while we started to walking to our Calculus class.

"Edward. He works at the library, and I just met him yesterday."

"Oh my god, you're so sitting with me at lunch anyway! Edward Cullen? He's my brother. My twin brother to be exact, but that's so cool."

"Really," I asked, confused. She was so tiny, and Edward was so tall. It just didn't make any sense.

Alice walked with me to my classes, and I really liked her. She was so bright and bubbly that I couldn't help but like her. She balanced out my dull and boring, I guess. The first half of the day passed pretty quickly, even with the stares from everyone. As Alice led me into the cafeteria, my stomach was jumping like it had this morning. _Why are you so nervous? You're just eating lunch with some new friends. Why are you being stupid? Because you think he's freaking hott, that's why! Oh, crap. Shut up, stupid brain. Just shut up!_

As I pulled myself out of my internal argument, I found myself with a tray of food being led by Alice to a table in the corner of the room. Once I got the courage to look up from my feet, I saw him. The bronze-haired, green-eyed glory. He was just as gorgeous in school as he was in the library yesterday. And now, he locked eyes with me and smiled this most distracting crooked little smile I've ever seen in my life. I lost all of the thoughts I had when I saw his eyes. I've never acted like that with anyone before.

"Hi, Bella. It's nice to see you again," Edward crooned in his velvety soft voice.

"Uh, hi, Edward. Nice to see you, too," I replied as I stared intently at the apple on my tray.

"So, Edward, Bella is in all of my classes except next period. I think she's actually in your class, so would you mind helping her find the class," Alice asked. I could feel my cheeks blush again.

"That won't be a problem at all, Alice."

"Good," Alice chimed as she bit into her apple.

I was once again lost in my thoughts when I heard Alice talking to another smooth voice. I looked up toward the voice and saw a tall, blonde guy with the most relaxed, laid back demeanor. Alice turned to me, and introduced him as Jasper. The lunch hour passed by quickly as we talked about Phoenix and music. Soon, Alice and Jasper were walking away hand in hand. That left me alone at the table with Edward standing up and reaching out his hand to help me up. I put my hand in his and just felt this electricity race through my veins. It felt amazing, more amazing than anything else I'd ever felt. I regretfully dropped his hand so I wouldn't make him uncomfortable by holding it for too long. We walked silently to Biology class, but I couldn't help but glance over at him as we were walking. Every time I looked, he was already glancing at me. That, needless to say, made me blush even more.

In Biology, Edward and I sat together. The teacher got in front of the class and passed around handouts that told us all of the projects we'd be doing throughout the year. He told us we'd have to work with our lab partners closely with most of the projects this year. He then explained the first project that would be due in two weeks: a presentation on DNA and how it affects one's lineage.

Edward turned to me and said, "That's perfect. We'll already be working on genealogy together, so we only have to tie in DNA."

"Yeah, that's awesome. Especially since I have a partner that's perfect. I mean, perfectly acquainted with the subject, ya know?"

Edward laughed, "Yeah, I know what you mean."

Biology ended without anymore ramblings spewing from my mouth, and I then went to my next class, English Lit, with Alice. We got there before everyone else, so we were talking about how the day was going and how we think our classes are going to turn out this year. All of a sudden, Alice turned herself so she was facing me completely and became serious.

"You like my brother don't you?" she said with a smile.

"What are you talking about?"

"I can tell by the way you look at him. That, and the fact that every time he talks to you, you blush like a fool."

"Oh, I don't know. I don't even really know him."

"Well, I do. And believe me, it's reciprocated."

I blushed furiously, and hadn't even noticed that the rest of the class had filed in and taken their seats. _Thank God,_ I thought, _Do I like him? I barely know him, so I can't really like him, can I?_

Then, like so many times today, the teacher broke me from my internal ramblings. The rest of the day passed without consequence. Before I knew it, I was it my truck on my way to the library…

**A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It's kind of jumpy I think, but everything will start to flow better once I get the first few chapters done with.**

**Please review!**

**I love you all,**

**Heather (onemoretimeplz)**


	4. Clumsy, Silly Me

Chapter 4- Clumsy, Silly Me

**A/N: I'm SOOO SOO SO SORRY that this one took so long. I've been having some RL issues, so I haven't gotten a chance to right. On the bright side, This chapter's a little longer than the others and it contains all B/E goodness. I hope you guys can forgive me enough to read and review!**

I pulled out of the school parking lot and headed down the main street through town. It was only about a five minute drive to the library, but I really couldn't bring myself to go. In those five minutes, I thought about everything that would probably slip out of my mouth in the time I'd be with Edward at the library. It instantly made my nerves shaky. _You can't just bail on him, Bella. You already told him you'd be there. You'll have to see him every day in school and ditching now would make school awkward. Not to mention the biology projects for the year._

"I know, I know," I mumbled to myself. Wow, I'm insane. Not only am I having an argument with myself, but I'm arguing with myself over something I shouldn't even be thinking twice about. Edward is a really nice guy. So what if he is the most attractive guy I've ever seen in my entire life. I should still be able to work with him on school stuff without caring what he'd think about me.

Once again—for about the trillionth time today—I was so lost in my internal ramblings that I didn't even realize I had already pulled into a spot in front of the library. Well, I guess my subconscious knows that I want to see Edward again.

I grabbed one of my empty notebooks and headed inside. I stared at my feet as I walked through the doors so I wouldn't see him suddenly and forget I had a brain. As the second set of doors opened and I walked through them, I ran into something hard. _Great job Bella, way to be clumsy in front of tons of people._ I looked up, expecting to see that I'd run into a shelf of books, but instead, I saw beautiful green eyes looking at me with concern. I instantly wanted to faint.

"Oh my God, Bella," Edward said with worry laced through his words, "Are you okay? I didn't even notice that you were coming in. I should've been watching where I was going.

"Oh, I'm, uh, I'm fine," I fumbled because my brain had gone AWOL. "I should've been watching where I was going, too. I'm a klutz, and I should know better than to look down while I'm walking."

"You shouldn't look down. No one can see your beautiful smile."

Confusion set in, and I said, "What?"

"We should get started on your tutorial now," Edward fumbled. _Did he just have a loss for words? Did I make him nervous? Bella, stop thinking stuff like that, you're just getting your hopes up. But Alice did say she thinks he likes me. I can't go by that. I don't even know her well! Stop having an argument with yourself and watch out for the doorjamb. _I glanced up and sure enough, there was a doorjamb that I was about to run into. I side stepped quickly, but ended up tripping over myself and falling into Edward. Again. Ugh. He thinks I'm a moron now. I peeled my eyes away from the floor to look up at Edward so he could tell me to leave, but instead, I saw concern painted on his expression.

"I'm sorry," I began, but he cut me off.

"Are you sure you're okay. Are you dizzy or anything? I can take you to the hospital if you need it."

"No, I'm fine. I told you I'm a klutz. I just can't seem to help myself."

"Well, we should probably get you into a chair so you don't break any bones or something," Edward said, chuckling a bit.

Turning bright red from embarrassment, I slowly walked to a chair and glue myself to it. Edward was still chuckling when he came to sit next to me after grabbing a few books from the shelves. The table we sat at had a computer with two seats on either side and enough room in front of the keyboard to spread out some books. _This genealogy thing must be pretty serious if there's this much room to sprawl out, _I thought. I looked over at Edward whose eyebrows were furrowed together in concentration while leafing through the books. He found the spot he wanted and then he looked at me to speak.

"First thing you'll need to know is what genealogy is and what kind of stuff you will find while researching. So what in all do you know about genealogy?"

"Uh," I stammered, "Well, I know that you find your predecessors, and historical facts about them. Right?"

"That's pretty much what it is. What you'll want to start with is your family tree, as far back as you know true."

"Ok, well there's Renee and Charlie. Renee's parents Catherine and David. And Charlie's parents Paul and Barbara. That's pretty much as far back as I know."

"Well, that's usually what we start with, so it's no big deal if you know any farther back. We'll map it out on the white board on the wall. We'll reserve this section specifically for you," Edward said as he pointed to the far-right section of the white board wall. He started by putting my name at the top, and made a line that connected Charlie and Renee to me. The tree then branched out to include my grandparents.

"We're going to start off easy so you can get to know the databases you'll be using. The first thing we're going to do is find everyone's birth certificates. We'll start with your parents and grandparents; then, that will lead us on. We only have access to Washington records right now, but we're working on expanding our availability."

Then, my cell phone rang. It was Charlie. _Bella, you idiot, you forgot to tell him you weren't coming straight home after school! _I pulled my phone out of my pocket and answered quickly. "Hey, dad. Sorry, I forgot to tell you, but I'm at the library."

"That's fine, Bella. You're an adult. But I did make us reservations in Port Angeles in an hour and a half. So could you come home soon to get ready so we can go?"

"Yeah, I'll be there in ten. Bye Dad."

"Bye Bells."

I looked up at Edward and said, "Charlie is taking me to dinner in Port Angeles tonight, so I have to go. It was a great tutorial. Hopefully we'll get a little bit farther along next time."

"Yeah, hopefully. We're not even to the fun parts yet," he said.

"Can't wait! See you tomorrow, Edward."

"Hey, Bella, can I ask you something," Edward asked, wringing his hands in the slightest way.

"Sure, anything," I said, maybe a little desperately, looking for any excuse to stay around him longer.

He looked down to the floor, then up to me through his lashes. "Would you like to go out with me sometime? Like, maybe this weekend? If you don't want—"

I cut him off by added, "I'd love to."

"Great," he said, sounding relieved. "How about Friday night?"

"Sounds great. I'll see you tomorrow, Edward."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow, Isabella."

As I climbed into my truck and drove home, all I could think about was Friday night. Maybe Forks isn't going to be so bad after all.

**A/N: YAY! Bella and Edward have a date! Woot! That should be the next chapter. Anyway, I also found another fanfic over the weekend that I'd started a couple months ago and forgot to really run with it. If you want to read that one, it should be posted in the next week or so. It's another all human story. Edward gets kidnapped and it will be told in BPOV and in EPOV so both side of the story are equally appreciated. **

**  
REMEMBER TO READ AND REVIEW SO THE NEXT CHAPTER COMES FASTER!**

**Love,**

**Heather (onemoretimeplz)**


	5. How am I So Lucky?

**A/N: Even though I didn't get ANY reviews, I'm giving you this chapter as a further apology for the delay on the last chapter. This chapter was going to be Bella's date with Edward, but I decided to add some Alice into the mix. She's fun. And I wanted to show Bella's relationship with Alice growing as well as her and Edward's. So onto the story!**

Friday came so quickly that I almost fell over after biology when Edward announced that he'd pick me up at seven o'clock. I promptly agreed, but then, once he was out of sight, I almost started to hyperventilate. _What do I wear? How should I act? Where are we going? What if he ends up not liking me?_ As I sat down in my seat in English Lit, I was staring blankly at my notebooks. A chime-like giggle attracted my attention, and as I looked at her, Alice was beaming.

"I told you that Edward liked you. So what are you wearing for your big date tonight?"

"I was just trying to think about that, but I think I'm going to die. My heart's never gone this fast before. What if he doesn't like me like he thinks he does?"

Alice giggled again, "Silly, silly Bella. Edward doesn't just date around for the hell of it! He takes this sort of thing very seriously. He's only ever had one girlfriend before and that was in seventh grade. He doesn't just ask people out unless he really, really means it."

I mouthed, "Oh," then turned around in my seat as the teacher started the lesson. I was taking notes and daydreaming when I felt something hit my arm. I looked at my desk and there was a folded up note. I opened it and it said:

_I'll be over at five o'clock to help you get ready. There's nothing to worry about. _

_Love,  
Alice_

I let out a whoosh of the breath I didn't know I'd been holding, and my stomach decided to stop jumping around like crazy. I looked up at the clock. _Hmm…it's almost three now. I'll have enough time to get home and make Charlie a quick dinner and then jump in the shower. Oh crap. You forgot to tell Charlie about tonight! What if he gets mad and doesn't let you go?! How would you ever break that news to Edward?_

With a new wave of panic, I escaped the school parking lot and drove straight home. I didn't have any time to waste. I needed to put something very special together for Charlie for supper so he'd let me go with Edward. When I pulled onto our street, I was surprised to see Charlie's cruiser already in the driveway. I walked in the door and Charlie was in the kitchen attempting to cook noodles to make lasagna.

"Charlie, what are you doing? I told you before that I'd make dinner for you so you wouldn't have to."

"I know, but I figured since you were going out tonight, I'd give you a break. You've made dinner all week, and I wanted to help you out."

"I didn't tell you I was going out tonight, did I?" I asked, confused as to how he knew my plans for tonight.

"No, but Edward Cullen just called and ask my permission. He's a great kid. Come from a great family. Did you know his dad is the best doctor on the west coast?"

"Edward called? I was going to tell you, Charlie. Can I still go?"

"Yes, Bells. You can go. You're almost an adult, and I trust your decisions. Just be careful, okay? Don't get into any trouble."

"You know I'm not a troublemaker, Dad. I'm going to jump in the shower quick, and then I'll be back down to finish the lasagna."

"Don't worry about it, Bella. I can take care of myself, you know. I've been doing it for quite a while now," Charlie said with a smirk on his face.

"Alright, then. I'm going to go get ready. Alice Cullen is coming over around five to help me. Could you just send her up to my room when she gets here?"

"I will. Don't worry. Oh, and Edward said to dress casually. He said he knows how Alice can get carried away."

"Thanks, Dad."

I got out of the shower at 3:45 and I was in my room, with a towel around me and in my hair. I was staring at my closet, willing something cute to materialize out of all the drab things on the rack. I heard my door swing open, and when I turned toward the sound, I saw Alice standing there, in all off her glory, holding about 10 shopping bags.

"Alice, it's not even four o'clock yet. I thought you weren't coming until five!"

"Well, I went shopping after school to get you some ahh-mazing things to wear tonight, because, quite frankly, Bella, you're wardrobe is boring."

"Thanks, but how much was everything? I'll pay you for it."

"Don't even think about it! I haven't had any girl time in forever since Emmett, my older brother, took his girlfriend, Rosalie, half way across the country for college this summer. I just picked up a few different options, so we have a few things to choose from."

I eyed the bags suspiciously. They were all from name brand stores.

"Alice, I really can't accept all of this. It's too expensive and I have no way of repaying you."

"You are repaying me by letting me play dress up with you. Can I lay out the options for you? We're running out of time!"

"We have three hours before Edward's picking me up. And how did you get all of that in an hour?"

"Three hours isn't very long for me to work my magic, Bella. And I had most of these in my closet. You're about the same size as Rosalie, so they should work."

"Ok, let's see it, but Edward said to dress casually."

I watched as Alice laid out five outfits on my bad. They were all gorgeous and all casual, well as casual as Alice could probably get. There was one that I absolutely loved, though. It was a pair of dark Dolce & Gabbana skinny jeans, a beautiful, navy blue top with small, white and yellow flowers on it. Alice saw my reaction to that one and quickly slid the rest of the articles off the bed and smiled at me. That was obviously her favorite, as well.

"You actually have amazing taste, Bella. Now, we need to pick shoes!"

She grabbed the biggest bag that she had brought and dumped the contents onto the floor in front of the bed. There were at least fifty pairs of shoes in that pile. The majority of them heels. Alice held up a pair of gold Manolos. _Oh, god._

"These would be _perfect_!"

"No, those would be death traps. I can't do heels. Besides, Edward said casual, remember?"

Alice pouted for a moment, but then started beaming as she found the perfect pair for me. She held up a pair of bright yellow Gucci flats that matched the floral on the shirt perfectly. "How about these?"

"I can work with those. Even though they're still way too much for casual," I chuckled.

"Well, hurry up and change. We have to get to work!"

I wasn't allowed to look in the mirror until Alice was finished. When she finally turned me around at 6:45, I audibly gasped at my reflection. My skin looked like it was glowing, my hair was in soft curls and the outfit fit me perfectly. I didn't even know I could look like this.

"Oh my god, Alice, you are a miracle worker! Thank you so so so much!"

"Well, I'd better get going. Edward's going to be her in a few minutes! Don't do anything to mess up your hair or make up until after he sees you. He's going to be speechless."

She gave me a quick but strong hug, wished me luck, and told me not to worry. Then she left.

I walked down the steps a few minutes later, and Charlie was at the bottom, looking like he was getting ready to call up to me. When I reached the last step, I looked up and saw Edward standing near the kitchen table with a single daisy. _Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! How did I ever get so lucky?!_

**A/N: Next chapter is definitely the date! YAY! Let me know what kind of date you want them to go on. I already have an idea, but I'm always open to suggestions! Let me know by clicking that little green button!**

**I love you all,  
Heather (onemoretimeplz)**


	6. All Smiles

**A/N: Ok guys, sorry for the temporary hiatus thing. I think I actually posted that for myself, because that definitely kicked my butt into gear. Here's chapter 6—THE DATE! WOO!**

**P.S. I do not own anything. :(**

Edward handed me the flower and leaned in to kiss my cheek. "You look absolutely beautiful," he whispered. I'm not one to take compliments well, but, for some reason, this one seemed sincere. I blushed, and he chuckled. I had a feeling that this was how most of the date was going to be. I would be permanently red by the end of tonight.

Charlie practically shoved us out the door—my guess is that he was having a bunch of guys over for the game and didn't want us to interfere with the testosterone fest. Edward offered his arm which I took eagerly. Once we reached his car, he opened the door for me and rushed to the other side to get behind the wheel.

There was a beautiful song coming from the car's stereo, and as I was trying to place why it was familiar, Edward spoke.

"Thank you for coming out with me tonight. I hope you like what I have planned."

"Well, what do you have planned?" I asked, curious as to what he could have possibly planned in this boring old town. _It doesn't matter what he has planned, Bella. You're with him, and that's un-boring enough!_

"It's a surprise. It's nothing spectacular, but I think I thought it out pretty well," he said, a coy smile playing on his lips. _God, I've never wanted to kiss someone so badly._

"Oh," was my brilliant response. My eyes kept wandering to his lips, noticing how perfect they were while he sang along with the music. I noticed that we were slowing down now, so I quickly—and hopefully discreetly—averted my gaze out the window. We were at the local park, but it looked so different than when I had played here as a child. I was trying to place what exactly was different when Edward opened my door and held his hand out for me.

"Oh, thank you," I managed to say while my cheeks turned several shades of red. "What are we doing here?"

"I have something special planned. I really hope you like it."

He led me down the path through the middle of the park. Once we reached the biggest oak tree in the center of the park, I noticed a blanket on the ground with a basket. _It's like he knows me so well._ I remember how in middle school my friends and I always talked about how we wanted our first date to go. All my friends wanted an expensive dinner or an exciting night on the town, but all I wanted was a quiet place where we'd be able to talk. They always made fun of me for it, but obviously I wasn't the only one into that sort of thing.

Someone—my guess was Alice—had wrapped white twinkle lights around the trunk of the tree. This night was turning out to be more amazing than I could have hoped for, and the date hadn't really even started yet. Edward led me over to the blanket that was stretched out and held my hand while I sat down. He sat near me—not directly across but not right next to me—and was close enough to lean in and kiss me if he so decided to. _Bella, you are getting ahead of yourself! Why don't you just try not to stumble with the conversation for now and worry about those beautiful, perfect lips on yours later._ I reprimanded myself, knowing that I needed to concentrate on the now, not the later. While I was lost in my mind, Edward had pulled out containers filled with food and laid them out in front of us.

"I hope you like Chinese. I made it myself, so if you don't like it, please let me know because I don't want you to eat something you don't like. I probably should've asked you if you liked Chinese before I went ahead and—,"

"Edward," I said, cutting him off. "Chinese is my favorite. It's perfect. Stop worrying and just relax."

_How can you tell him to stop worrying and to relax? You can't even do that!_ I chuckled a little at the thought, and the beautiful man next to me must've heard the sound, because he looked terrified.

"What…what's wrong?"

"Nothing, Edward, I was just thinking of how much we're alike. I ramble when I'm nervous, and I'm guessing you're nervous because you're rambling as well. But then we're not alike, too, because I fall when I'm nervous and you're so graceful it hurts to watch sometimes."

"Bella, you're rambling."

"Yeah, I noticed. I guess I'm nervous, too."

"Did you say that you watch me?"

"Uh," I froze. _Did I really say that? Now you're coming across as a creepy stalker girl._ "I just meant, like, um. Yeah, I watch you sometimes—but not in a creepy stalker sort of way. I just can't stop looking at you sometimes." _You did NOT just say that, did you?! Are you crazy?! He's going to run away now because you're too crazy! UGH!_

"I'm glad I'm not the only one," Edward said with a chuckle.

"You watch yourself? I'd fall over if I tried to watch myself."

"No, I watch you. Sometimes, I'm just so mesmerized by what you do. How you walk, how you laugh. The way you smile in different ways," he said, blushing.

"I smile in different ways? What does that mean?" I thought people only have one smile.

"Well, when you are uncomfortable or annoyed, but still trying to be polite—like when Newton comes near you—you smile, but it's a simple smile that doesn't reach your eyes. When someone tells a joke you don't really get, you smile genuinely, but look a little confused. When someone says something you think is exceptionally funny, your smile is as big and bright as the sun. And then, my favorite one is—"

"Wait, you have a favorite one? How many smiles can one person have?"

"Yes, I have a favorite, and I don't know how many smiles people can have, but I know that I've seen four smiles on your beautiful face."

"Oh," I whispered, feeling like an idiot for ruining the moment with a stupid question.

"Anyway, let's eat. You're probably starving," Edward said, opening the dishes and getting utensils out of the basket.

"You can't just leave me hanging like that, Edward. What's your favorite smile?"

"Well, I'm not sure if it's real or if I'm making it up out of high hopes, but I think I see a different smile when you…well, when you look at me. You're eyes get bright and you're smile is the most sincere smile I've seen anyone have. It lights up your face and makes you walk a little taller. It sounds even more stupid when I say it out loud," he said, hanging his head slightly so I couldn't see the embarrassment painted on his face.

"You're not making that up. I know that because I just _feel _so different when I look at you. I feel more confident and genuinely happy—more so than I have since I moved here."

Edward looked relieved, and even though I'd just admitted that I feel something for him, I felt relieved, too. It was like hiding my feelings from him were weighing me down, making me worry. With them out in the open, and seeing that he may reciprocate, made me feel lighter, almost giddy.

Our conversation turned to lighter things, like music and movies, while we ate the delicious food Edward had prepared. Suddenly, Edward stood up and held his hand out for me. I looked at him with what I'm sure was confusion painted on my features, but took his hand anyway.

"We are going to dance," Edward stated matter-of-factly.

"I don't think that's a good idea. Remember…I'm a klutz. Plus there's no music."

"There's a beautiful song in my head. That's all that matters. Plus, dancing is all in the leading. Just follow me. I won't let you fall."

We danced slowly while Edward hummed the sweetest song I'd ever heard. I was light and airy and full of emotion at the same time. I'd never heard anything quite like it before. When the song had begun to come to a close, Edward gently twirled me and then caught me in the other arm. I felt like I was walking on clouds. While I was still in his arms from the dance, I decided to be brave. I stood up on my toes to get closer to him, and brushed his lips with mine. He froze, and his eyes got wide. I had the horrible feeling of rejection in the pit of my stomach and was about to bolt, but as soon as I turned, he turned me back around to face him. He placed his hands on my cheeks and kissed me with fervor and with care at the same time. It was by far the best kiss I'd ever experienced in my life. _Duh, Bella, you've only ever kissed that gross Gary kid in 8__th__ grade as a dare. Of COURSE Edward would be the best kiss ever!_

We looked at each other for a few seconds more, straight into each other's eyes. It was the most intense feeling I've ever imagined. It was like he was seeing into my soul, and I his. I think that was the moment I fell in love with Edward Cullen.

**A/N: I hope you guys liked it. I know it ends a little suddenly, but I didn't want to spoil that beautiful realization with "Then we got in his car and he drove me home" Blah. Anyway, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW! I love it! Help a girl out a little!**

**I love you all,**

**onemoretimeplz**


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